The pandemic uncovered several insights into the significance and connection between health, wellbeing, and productivity at work. Whether you work from home or in an office, without employee well-being, there is no
organizational resilience. HR leaders are recognizing this bare truth and are focusing on more than just physical health. There is a push to promote holistic wellness, which includes physical, mental, social, financial, and psychological well-being.
Employee Well-Being and the Modern Organization
Studies have proved that employee well-being has a direct impact on revenue and profitability. It affects the overall employee morale, productivity, and employee experience. Focusing on employee well-being leads to a 41% drop in absenteeism, as well as more innovation, better retention, and lower healthcare costs.
As workplaces have undergone much transformation in recent years,
employees’ expectations from a health and wellness perspective have taken on a new shape. Forward-looking organizations are committing to developing meaningful initiatives that
foster well-being in the workplace. Organizations do not intend to stop providing health coverage and benefits. They are proactively infusing well-being into the work culture, employee experience, and career growth as these factors are most likely to take precedence in the near future. In fact, according to a study by TeamStage, 78% of employees were more likely to continue working because they liked the benefits.
In this context, data and a handful of key metrics will set the tone for HR professionals to deliver more value to their employees.
Mapping the Metrics That Matter
So what metrics will play a key role in bringing modern, employee-oriented wellness and health programs?
According to a Paycor survey, 17% of HR professionals were able to provide a concrete response to changing their approach to well-being in 2022. Some initiatives include:
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Mental health awareness and training
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Discount on mental health apps
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Virtual exercise programs
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A 24/7 support helpline
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Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The first viable option is to implement a meaningful way to measure employee happiness in the workplace. For instance, international electronics giant Hitachi used wearable devices to monitor a range of activities, including sitting, standing, talking, and even typing, to create a measuring algorithm. Hitachi identified and pre-empted stressors and health concerns in the workplace by offering corresponding benefits.
However, implementing benefits isn’t enough. Many employers are calculating employee interaction with their wellness offering through online portals. This key metric is used to determine whether or not employees are making the most of their benefits. In turn, this demonstrates their engagement levels with the company.
Parting Words
As the work landscape has shifted from the office to homes and job markets have become more volatile; stress, anxiety, and mental illnesses are mainstays of employee concerns. The pandemic underlined the importance of having a robust grip on employee well-being for organizations to be able to survive such drastic transformations. However, employee wellness has proven to be a cornerstone of sustainability and resilience all along. Organizations that hope to thrive and grow well into the future will need to highlight employee well-being as an integral part of their workforce strategy.